Last Year: The Nightmare is a fun, albeit shallow experience that could use more content and reasons to keep playing. In the increasingly crowded market of asymmetrical online horror games, Last Year manages to streamline a lot of what usually makes these types of games so frustrating to play.

Cat Quest does exactly what it says on the tin - this is a full RPG experience, condensed into a few hours of play, stuffed to the brim with adorable kitties and cat puns. If you want a short but sweet RPG with plenty of moments that will make you smile, Cat Quest can be a great choice, especially for kids.

Rogue Trooper Redux won’t be for everyone, but old fans wishing to revisit a favorite and new players interested in the tale of a classic franchise will still have fun here. Some aged mechanics and a handful of minor bugs in animations and camera control can hamper the experience, but for the most part, Rogue Trooper Redux is a fascinating game to revisit.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York left me feeling hungry. The game is certainly well-written, but its truncated story doesn’t quite do its complex, captivating world justice. If you’re a dedicated VTM devotee, Coteries of New York is a solid appetizer, but you’ll have to wait until next year for something to truly sink your fangs into.

Necromunda: Underhive Wars is a great strategy game, with pacing that leaves the entire experience marred. The slow crawl of progress is enough to drive you insane, but despite all of that, it's still a darn good time. If you have a lot of time free and enjoy Warhammer, this is a solid choice, but I'm praying we get an update with a game speed increase option - or a mod, for the PC version.

Dynasty Warriors Godseekers manages to capture the spirit of the series with its tactical experience, but sadly fails to stand out from the competition and the classic games of the past due to the lack of any real innovation. Despite this, there's still plenty of fun to be had for fans of the Dynasty Warriors series and tactical RPG, as the experience is quite solid. Just don't expect to remember Zhao Yun's journey six months from now.

Offworld Trading Company is by no means a bad game, it’s just difficult to recommend against the existing titans of the genres it borrows from. Still, if you really like the premise you could pick it up during a sale.

Mirror's Edge: Catalyst will likely make people feel the same as the original, it'll be a divisive game. The freedom of movement is excellent, vastly improved over the original, but it's let down by a poor story, unrelatable characters and an incredibly annoying combat system, which it forces you into all too frequently. Still an exciting game to explore and look around, it's hard not to recommend Mirror's Edge if you're looking for something different, which it still is

Mutant Year Zero: Seed of Evil is a good expansion, introducing a new compelling mystery, a powerful new character and some brand new locations. Sadly, it includes very little gameplay changes, and the new weapons, upgrades and ability ranks do not force players to change their tactical approach over the original game. Still, the additional content is definitely enjoyable, making Seed of Evil an essential purchase to all those who love Mutant Year Zero.

As someone that loves Dark Souls, I can say I enjoyed aspects of Salt and Sanctuary, but comparing the two games side by side seems incredibly unfair. Similarly to the Souls games, Salt and Sanctuary requires time and patience for players to reap its true rewards. While that may be attractive to some, it doesn’t quite have the same level of depth and finesse that would warrant it as a worthy substitute for one of the greatest RPGs ever created.

Adapting the final explosive story arc of the original story, Fairy Tail 2 is a game that goes straight to the point, featuring charming characters and a well-crafted combat system that makes fighting the forces of the Alvarez Empire incredibly fun. The lack of any involving side activity, lackluster world design and very short length, however, limit the appeal of the experience only to fans of Hiro Mashima's works, as there simply isn't enough for those who are already in love with Fairy Tail to justify a purchase.

Call of Cthulhu is horror comfort food. The equivalent of a dog-eared horror paperback found on some dusty used bookstore shelf. The game isn’t particularly daring or terrifying, but it is a well-written and crafted bit of low-stress spookiness. A handful of ill-conceived sequences drag Call of Cthulhu down a notch, but, thankfully, they aren’t enough to fully sink the game.

Bleeding Edge is an interesting combination of features taken from Overwatch, MOBAs and character action games, featuring a solid character roster, a good map selection and two modes that feel varied enough. The limited amount of content and the lack of a ranked mode, however, make it difficult to recommend the game as a stand-alone purchase as of now. As an Xbox Game Pass game, though, Bleeding Edge works much better, as players can keep playing while waiting for new content to drop without having to purchase the game right away.

Rise of the Ronin struggles to find its identity in ways that hinder what would otherwise be one of Team Ninja's finest works. A compelling story told against the backdrop of the 1850s Bakumatsu Period is instead overshadowed by a vapid and uninspired open-world setting and a narrative that rarely feels like the player has agency.

The Back 4 Blood - Tunnels of Terror expansion introduces some new quality content such as the Ridden Hives, new Cleaners, and new cards that enhance the base game's experience without revolutionizing it in any way. As such, only those who have enjoyed and continue to enjoy the base game will truly appreciate the additions included in this expansion, as the new content, while well-crafted, doesn't really change how Back 4 Blood is played.

Bulletstorm is back and it is still as ridiculous as you remember. The Skillshot System provides an awesome challenge for FPS players who want something a little different than your typical military shooter.

It may not be one of the must-play titles on PlayStation VR, but if you’re looking for a challenging experience to share with friends, strapping yourself into Battlezone should serve as a good introduction into what virtual reality should feel like.

It makes for a better fighter than J-Stars Victory VS.

Stars in Shadow, developed by a two man team, offers a compelling but simple approach to the 4X Strategy game genre. While lacking some depth in the grand scale, it more than makes up for it with compelling ship battles, using custom designed ships that offer a great amount of customization.

We. The Revolution is a great concept, there's no doubt about that. Unfortunately, it falls down at one of its key moments, but the overall experience is still tense and very atmospheric.

A competent collection which vastly improves the two Dead Island games included, adding a third game which can be fun in short bursts. Both Dead Island and Dead Island Riptide never looked better, with a slew of technical enhancements and solid performance which makes revisiting both titles quite enjoyable. Most the gameplay issues, however, haven't been addressed, so those who couldn't stand the original releases won't change their opinions with the remastered releases. Solid games, for sure, but not for everyone.

Visage is one of the most terrifying games I’ve ever played, full stop, but it’s not going to be for all horror fans. The game’s perplexing puzzles, convoluted story, and rough edges will turn off some, but if you can stick it out, there’s a good chance it will eventually sink its hooks into you. Good horror can take time to process, and I believe Visage’s dark presence will only grow with time.

A well-designed sandbox that’s at its most entertaining when you ignore what’s supposed to be the core of the game. The story is a dud, and the game's Ultimate Team-inspired upgrade system is an attempt to force a square peg into a round hole, but there’s no denying tearing down desert roads at 180 mph in a souped-up 1965 Mustang is a blast. Need for Speed Payback is a fun joyride, but it doesn’t quite hold up over the long haul.

A solid, yet not perfect, beginning of the new saga, sporting enjoyable characters, that sadly don't get the development they deserved, outside Sophie and Plachta, and interesting mechanics, such as the new alchemy system. Some of the new mechanics, such as the removal of the time limit, do create some pacing issues, but the development of the main characters' relationship is so good that it's easy to look past this issue. Just don't expect to play the best Atelier game ever released.

The game is still subtle enough with other parts of itself to at least warrant a thorough playthrough. After all, the player has to discover the origins of this mysterious world and the entities inside it, and the only way to find out is through multiple playthroughs. Overall, this experience is decent, and I'm thoroughly satisfied with what I've got.

Layers of Fear: Legacy is a scary reflection of humanity, but perhaps not as scary as your own reflection on the Nintendo Switch's screen.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is a very good GPS based AR game, but it borrows so much from the likes of Pokémon GO that it is left without a distinctive hook or personality of its own. It feels like a Pokémon GO reskin. A damn good reskin, with a lot of effort put into it, but a reskin nonetheless. This is unlikely to inspire the fans of other GPS AR games to jump on board, but if you're a Harry Potter fan that likes to go on walks, there is no reason not to try it out.

Solar Ash makes a good first impression with its silky-smooth controls, eye-catching visuals, and bombastic boss battles, but a lack of character progression or changes to core mechanics eventually drains some of the life from the game. Solar Ash is a solid action-platformer, but it doesn’t really rise above the many other indies occupying the same space, and ultimately, you may find your memories of the game disappearing rather swiftly into the void.

God of War: Sons of Sparta is a perfectly fine Metrovania on its own, but it doesn’t live up to the Kratos lineage otherwise. Either temper your expectations for Kratos’ origin story, or go into this one with an open mind that it’s another generic Greek adventure, and you won’t find your time in Laconia to be a tragedy.

Not the best Resident Evil game by a long shot, but Resident Evil 0 had loads to offer fans of the series. Newcomers are best to look towards the original game, though.

The Caligula Effect is a bit of a difficult RPG to quantify and narrow down my feelings on. Caligula’s combat stands out as the best reason to pick up and play this Vita-exclusive RPG, second to the story that should appeal to fans that just wrapped up Persona 5 and want something more in that vein. FuRyu might not have a fully-polished RPG on their hands to deliver, but it’s a worthy title that stands out from the rest on the Vita.

Samurai Shodown is a great fighter that looks beautiful, and deserves a much bigger audience than it has - but as of right now, there aren't enough players online to satisfy fighting game fans, and there isn't enough singleplayer content for more casual fans. The new characters that have been added since launch are great, but Samurai Shodown still feels like a game that needs an overhaul. I still have my fingers crossed that the future of Samurai Shodown and SNK will be bright, but I still have my doubts.

Star Trek: Resurgence is possibly one of the more accurate games to have captured the Star Trek world in a more contemplative manner, with the adventure game format being particularly suited to it. With a compelling narrative, interesting characters (new and returning) and a game that plays well, there is a lot to like here, despite a number of technical hiccups on the PC version.

Gran Turismo Sport is a good game, and yet, it’s still a disappointment. Given this series’ pedigree, good simply isn’t good enough. GT Sport still brings it on the track, but its lack of content can’t be ignored, and you can’t give the game top marks in world where Forza Motorsport 7 and Project CARS 2 exist. If you’re a diehard fan of Sony’s series or really into online racing, GT Sport is worth a shot. If you just want the best racing sim out there, you may want to kick some more tires.

The .hack//G.U. Last Recode remaster is a more than worthy way to experience the original PlayStation 2 releases, offering several enhancements which improve the experience considerably and a real closure with the new Reconnection volume. The enhancements, however, do little to improve the stiffness of the experience, the repetitive dungeon design, and the slow story pace, making .hack//G.U. Last Recode a must buy only for fans of the series. Newcomers, however, may still find something to like in the games, as the story, albeit slowly paced, is quite interesting, and the world well fleshed out.

Peril on Gorgon, the first DLC released for The Outer Worlds, maintains all of the pros and cons we've already seen in the base game. The plot is intriguing while the characters remain the true highlight, but combat is a bit lackluster and optimization underwhelming.

MotoGP 21 is yet another slow, tentative step forward for the bleary-eyed series. There are clear improvements visually, with the physics, and with a few new features to aid realism. However, for every improvement, some areas are showing their age or have abandonment issues. The tutorial is as absorbing and educational as a brick wall, the career mode just feels shallow, and finding that balance for non-simulation purists can be a chore. Still, these are balanced by the strong racing when you find those perfect settings and the improving AI. Also, the use of the PlayStation 5's DualSense controller is brilliant, putting the feel of the bike into your hands.

Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn feels like a missed opportunity. While the story held some potential, it doesn't go beyond passable at best, its uneven pacing and the lack of meaningful gameplay additions making the whole experience feel dull at times. As such, only die hard fans of the base game will find some value in what is, essentially, an extended prologue with limited appeal.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is not a complete failure, and there's a lot to love here, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I was somewhat disappointed. While playing I skipped between being in love with the game's style and personality and sick to death of actually having to play. A fascinating experiment from Suda51, one I'm glad he made, but not the best game. Add a point to the score if you love Japanese eccentricity, take one away if you have no time for it.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is heavily dependent on the amount of free floor space you have available. If you have a large home, space to drive under the sofas, no extra rugs or thick carpets, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit will be an amazing experience to share with the children. If you live somewhere fairly cramped or have a lot of clutter that's going to get in the way, then you will find this very difficult to enjoy indeed. Great for the kids at Christmas, as long as you have the space.

Calling First Departure R a full remaster is a bit of a disservice. Though the new character artwork and Japanese voice track are nice additions, this is still very much the same Star Ocean game that fans played a decade ago.

Everspace: Stellar Edition isn’t the best 3D space shooter or roguelike available, but it’s a relatively unique and successful fusion of the two genres. Repetitiveness aside, you may just find yourself hooked by the game’s tight combat controls and satisfying progression loop. Unfortunately, the Switch isn’t the best way to play the game, unless portability is your top concern. Everspace for Switch isn’t for everybody, but if you fall into the game’s relatively narrow niche, a galaxy of die and retry fun awaits.

Genshin Impact is a remarkable game in many respects, boasting vibrant visuals, a rich, sprawling world, deep systems, and finely-tuned action. Unfortunately, the game’s free-to-play gacha business model often undermines its own sense of adventure and excitement. Genshin Impact is a good -- potentially great -- game locked in a loot box it can’t quite escape.

Tiny Metal is a love letter to turn-based strategy games of the past, offering a similar experience which doesn't overstay its welcome. Sadly, the game by Area 35 doesn't even try to move away from its main influence, the Advance Wars series, resulting in a game that doesn't feel particularly daring or innovative. Still, there's plenty of fun to be had, especially in Skirmish Mode, where all of the game's subsystems and mechanics get the chance to shine.

The Anno History Collection is as the name implies, a collection of the historical Anno titles. Unlike other re-releases that have come out recently, this isn't a remaster or a remake, with the games coming in their original glory with a few tweaks to enable modern resolutions, allow the games to run smoothly and allow you to play online. Is that enough to justify the high price? That's up for debate, as is the value you'll get out of each of the four titles, with the age of the first two really showing. You can, however, buy the titles separately. So do I recommend it? The games are good and there's a massive amount of content, it's down to you if you're happy playing some (admittedly great) older games with few noticeable advancements.

Old School Musical is a fun and engaging rhythm game that offers a great throwback to a host of retro titles. As well as looking great (when you can watch the background!), the soundtrack is one of the best you'll have heard from such a small developer in a long time - featuring 50 original chiptunes tracks that will inevitably remind you of other titles.

Layton's Mystery Journey is a lot of fun, and Katrielle is just a better character than her father is, but this journey is a lot more predictable and less memorable than the Professor's best.

The Capcom Fighting Collection is a nostalgic trip through fighting game history enriched with new features like online multiplayer and an extensive Museum Mode that breathe new life into these all-time classics. The lack of cross-platform play and the extremely limited single-player modes, however, make the collection a worthy purchase only for those who live and breathe fighting games.

Kerbal Space Program is a game that makes you feel dumb before it makes you feel smart. That is its appeal. There are some issues with its presentation on console, but if you want to feel smart and have the time to learn (and don't mind the annoying controls and menus), this is the game.

Unruly Heroes is a decent action-platformer that has a fantastic art style and genuinely looks beautiful. The platforming and combat, for the most part, is sound, with a huge amount of variety to find in the levels. However, the controls can be a little unresponsive and the game does have issues with some very forced 'comedy', though comedy is always subjective. Is Unruly Heroes worth buying? For what is a reasonably low price, it is a decent title to pick up and is worth spending some time with.

Alone in the Dark is the best entry in the franchise in over two decades, although there wasn’t much competition for that title. So-so combat, technical issues, and a frustrating lack of consistency sometimes cast a shadow over the game, and yet, there’s still something enticing here. The game’s intricately-designed Derceto Manor hub, thick Lovecraftian atmosphere, and surprisingly-varied level design ought to be enough to light a spark of enthusiasm in some hardcore survival horror fans’ dark hearts.

Starship Troopers: Terran Command is most certainly the game of the film. It gives off the same feel like the film and sticks very close to the source material with the use of bugs, the actions of the empire and the tactics of the Mobile Infantry; all that is an unequivocal positive. However, there are a few issues in gameplay. It feels like an older strategy game than it is, lacking some modern sensibilities, limited game modes, and featuring poor pathfinding. Still, despite these issues, it is a genuinely fun and strategic title that fans of the franchise will thoroughly enjoy, and general strategy fans should also enjoy.

Katanakami: A Way of the Samurai Story is on the easier side of the spectrum for a Mystery Dungeon title, but the way it infuses the genre with decent swordplay.

Tribes of Midgard can be a fun, satisfying, and surprisingly friendly action-survival experience, but without the right guide and crew, you might find yourself lost at sea. Dedicated Vikings may find treasure here, but for some, Tribes of Midgard will wear thin quickly – just another trinket for your pile of shame.

With excellent combat and traversal mechanics and a unique atmosphere, Naraka: Bladepoint stands out from the battle royale crowd. Cluttered interface, controls that require some tweaking, the bad implementation of microtransactions, and general lack of content, however, damage the experience a bit, preventing it from becoming a must-buy for fans of the genre. The foundation is still extremely solid, so with proper support, Naraka: Bladepoint definitely has the chance to rival all of the most popular battle royale games on the market.

Digital Eclipse revitalizes two classic platformers with quality emulation on current generation consoles, although there's some that keeps this from being a pixel-perfect collection.

Is WWE 2K19 championship material? Not quite, but developers Yuke’s and Visual Concepts have made some important strides in the right direction. WWE 2K19 hulks up with some smart new mechanics, a well-produced Daniel Bryan Showcase, and a much-improved MyCareer mode. Does the game still suffer from some in-ring issues and a general lack of polish? Yes, but WWE 2K19 feels like it might just be the first chapter of an inspiring comeback story.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX doesn’t really set out to bust expectations. It’s a decent little remake of a decent little game. While a lack of challenge, so-so presentation, and an unsatisfying approach to Pokémon collecting limits Rescue Team DX’s potential, exploring the game’s dungeons has an undeniable Zen appeal and there’s certainly a ton of content to work through. This Mystery Dungeon is worth unraveling, provided you don’t mind a roguelike that’s more relaxing than rigorous.

Would I recommend UNDYING? You know what, I would. I've got to hand it to developers Vanimals; they have a strange studio name. More than simply being a good game, UNDYING has a decent amount of replay value due to multiple endings, random events, and the time limit, meaning it'll be impossible to see everything. I'll go back to it, which is rare.

The gameplay does get bland and repetitive at times, but I managed to keep things fresh by mixing up different types of gear, skills, and talents. It is one thing if a game is difficult by design and encourages players to ‘Git Gud’ and its another if the devs artificially impose it for squeeze out more money. Oh, and the icing on the cake is that you can’t play the game offline.

At its best, Man of Medan is every bit as gripping, beautiful, and giddily silly as Until Dawn, but technical issues, a rushed story, and a confusing approach to player choice betray the limited resources the game’s creators had to work with. Man of Medan is currently the best option for those desperate for more Until Dawn, but I'm hoping Supermassive Games can scare up something a little more substantial for future The Dark Pictures titles.

39 Days to Mars is a short but funny and compelling trip from Earth to Mars with you and another person, or you and a pet cat. Designed for couch co-op, it doesn't penalise you for being a misanthrope like myself and offers a good amount of replay value with varied paths to take. It's well worth taking this trip to the red planet.

Although the game was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the actual gameplay elements of it, the story just didn't grab me. Initially, I was also deterred by the massively contrasting art styles and the finicky menus. Overall, the game is a pleasant experience, appropriate for gamers of all ages. If the story had some more flashy dramatics, it may have pulled me in earlier. The Plucky Squire is very evidently a product made with a lot of love, and you can tell that from the level of polish it has.

Dry Drowning is an intriguing, engaging, if flawed visual novel. While it's more expansive than traditional visual novels, it still lives and dies on the story, character and writing, which are strong and interesting, though let down by a rough localisation. However, even with this, it's well worth checking out, looking and sounding both fantastic, with an outstanding soundtrack that really adds to the game.

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins - Trials of the Dragon King is a DLC aimed at those who have played the base game beyond its ending, providing new customization options, a new difficulty setting, new difficulty modifiers and more. Beyond this, the expansion doesn't provide a lot of new story and gameplay content, making it a worthy purchase only for those who have found Chaos mode too tame, and are ready to get challenged again by the base game's foes and a few new ones.

Skybolt Zack is an action-packed, engaging but all-together a little too unforgiving action-platformer-rhythm-thing. Despite its unforgiving nature, It is a game that even the most useless of people (me) will have fun with and will offer a huge amount of replayability for those looking for a challenge due to the unique difficulty system. Looks, sounds and plays great, the first outing from Devs Must Die is one well worth giving a go.

Arrow a Row is a fun little timewaster ripped straight from the mobile adverts. It's free, easy to pick up, and it genuinely offers a little challenge when you delve into the theorycrafting. Is it a good "game"? No, it's a free-to-play timewaster, but that's all it wants to be, and it does that job admirably well while remaining free. I've spent a fair amount of time with it, and I honestly imagine others will enjoy doing the same - not even ironically.

While it might once have been the Game of the Year, age and experience have robbed Outcast of its original magic. Luckily, most of that has been replaced by an exciting return to the old and an interesting look back at what the landscape of games used to be.

The Artful Escape is a rockin' Space Opera but it doesn't have much going for it besides its pretty visuals and incredible music. The platforming is basic and the plot is serviceable, but it's nothing that audiences haven't seen before. I'd recommend this game only if you're a fan of rock music from the '70s and '80s.

With its unique premise and setting, Atlas Fallen could have been one of the best action games of the year, but its mediocre combat system, dull open-world areas, and lack of interesting characters drag the experience down. The full package ends up being just a decent game for those willing to look past its most critical shortcomings.

It's possibly the best One Piece fighter, but one that's still mired in anime arena fighter jank.

Attack on Titan 2 has an action-packed campaign that fans of the show will enjoy along with a pretty fun multiplayer mode, even if does look a bit outdated and the traversal system can prove to be more challenging than taking down a Titan.

An improvement from Milestone on the MXGP series. It certainly can be gripping and it's more than challenging once you get the settings right. Racing through your own career is pretty fun to say the least. The only thing is that, like other Milestone titles, it has its issues that could do with working through.

Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders is a very enjoyable point and click adventure game featuring a varied gameplay experience, a good plot, charming characters and great atmosphere. The game's short length and low challenge level, however, prevent it from being anywhere near a masterpiece.

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts offers a completely unique shooter, far better than its predecessors and absolutely noteworthy in the FPS genre as a whole. But players will need a love for stealth, slow gameplay, and the patience of a saint in order to properly enjoy it.

If Alan Wake 2: The Lake House was priced reasonably, it would have been a much better proposition, as it is a worthy continuation of the base game in terms of story, themes, and atmosphere. As the only way to get the expansion is by purchasing the Deluxe Edition, however, I don't think it offers quite enough to upgrade to the more expensive edition of the game for all but the most die-hard fans of the base game and the Remedy Connected Universe.

Forspoken is a fun action game that shines best when you're taking advantage of the great magic parkour to soar through the fantasy world of Athia and blast enemies with overwhelmingly cool spells. However, its content is underwhelming, its RPG systems are weak, and its visuals are less advanced than advertised. As such, Forspoken's potential is largely unrealized in its current state. It's still a decent romp for genre fans to go through, though waiting until it gets a discount or is added to one of the many subscription services is recommended.

Hood: Outlaws & Legends offers a barebones experience that is best played with a dedicated team of wolves. Those seeking fame and riches on their own may find themselves lamenting the lack of content both available day one and what's to come in the first year roadmap. Hood may certainly grow in the future, but the first impressions leave much to be desired.

AO Tennis 2 is most certainly a great step in the right direction, with large improvements to animations, physics and general gameplay. In addition to these improvements, the career mode here is one of the more personal and engaging career modes you'll find in a sports title, up there with any other sports title, especially thanks to the extensive character customisation which lets you create just the person you want. AO Tennis 2 isn't perfect though, there are still some issues with the general feel of the fall and some game mechanics like movement being tied to the aiming of your shots, causing an overlap, but the improvements are there and there's no doubt that Big Ant Studios are making large strides.

Goodbye Volcano High throws quite a bit in the pot, and the end result is a fairly hearty experience, at least by indie visual novel standards. Your first playthrough will probably take most players five or six hours and there’s some reason to replay if you want to change your responses and friendships, although I’m not sure everyone will want to repeat their senior year.

Even though this is a remake of a six-year-old game, it still holds up pretty well as far as gameplay is concerned. Darksiders: Warmastered Edition looks at its best at 4K resolution and as a game, it's better than its sequel.

Star Control: Origins boasts some of the sharpest writing I’ve come across in a while. It made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions, which is a rare thing. Unfortunately, this space adventure is at its worst when it’s at its spaciest. A lack of navigational tools, dull resource collecting, and oversimplified space battles all conspire to knock the game down a peg. Star Control: Origins serves up a lively galaxy worth exploring, but sometimes the commute can be a killer.

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire “Beast of Winter” gives fans more of a good thing, and presents a handful of interesting ideas and story beats. That said, anybody expecting this Pillars of Eternity II expansion to be anywhere near as vast, vibrant, and varied as the core game are likely to be left cold.

Murder on Eridanos provides an intriguing story to follow thanks to its murder investigation premise, even though the DLC otherwise maintains all of the pros and cons of The Outer Worlds and its previous DLC, Peril on Gorgon.

Titan Quest Ragnarök offers more of what makes the main game so engaging - a new Mastery opening up new customization possibilities, new gear, new enemies, new areas to explore and new challenges. With the new content being meant for high level characters, and the lack of any real new gameplay mechanics, it's clear how the expansion is geared toward the most die-hard fans of Titan Quest. Those who aren't particularly fond of action role-playing games from over 10 years ago will definitely not change their opinion with Titan Quest Ragnarök, making it an essential purchase only for those who love the game created by Iron Lore.

End of Zoe is just wacky enough to work, although it doesn’t really build on Resident Evil 7 in any meaningful way. It doesn’t add much to the game’s story, lacks any truly memorable set pieces, and, most crucially, isn’t scary. As a curiosity, End of Zoe is a worthwhile experience, but it’s a somewhat odd final statement for the Resident Evil 7 saga.

The Dead Island 2 SoLa DLC is a much better expansion than the previous one, featuring the same enticing blend of wacky characters and explosive zombie slaying action of the base game. The new additions, however, don't expand the core gameplay significantly, making the expansion a worthy purchase only for the most die-hard fans of Dambuster Studios' rendition of zombie-infested Los Angeles.

Tropico 6 is the best entry in the series, though not without its flaws. The repetition of random requests with no real direct relation to how your city is developing is always an irritation to me. The economics of the city is especially well developed, though areas like the superpowers feel tacked on at best. Fortunately, new features like raids help the game stand out from its predecessors.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV represents a marked improvement on recent outings from the franchise, offering great strategic gameplay and strong characterisation. All of this is done with a strong focus on ease of access, made easier by a clean UI that allows people to pick it up easy. There are downsides, however. With adequate at best, though often poor AI and a collection of bugs, some that are game-breaking, there is still room for improvement and a dire need for patches to fix the bugs and optimisation issues.

Supermassive Games has aimed for something truly ambitious in the horror sector with The Inpatient. While there are some fine ideas in play, this brief psychological experience could've used a little bit more time in therapy.

The Great War: Western Front is an interesting strategy game that delves into its setting for better and worse. Offering various strategic and tactical opportunities provides a lot for strategy game fans. However, the glacially slow pace will undeniably turn some people off, despite being very much due to the World War One setting. If there is one key issue, the AI is almost like a relic of previous games, seemingly not following the same rules as the player. Other issues with pathfinding also feature. However, despite these issues, I can't help but admit the game is compelling.

Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods - Part One is a solid, meaty, and strong piece of DLC for Doom Eternal. It removes some of the chaff, cutting needless exposition, and makes some strong steps in gameplay. However, strange inclusions like enemies that kill the pace of combat, as well as even more ultra-precise platforming sections can throw off the whole "Doom" feeling of Doom Eternal. Also, and this is more of a subjective gripe, it's just too difficult right out of the gate with some combat sections feeling like they last forever.

Sherlock Holmes The Awakened is a competent remake featuring all the best features the series is known for, such as an engaging mystery and solid investigative gameplay. While the game is lacking in terms of innovation, doing away with the open-world setting seen in Chapter One, Frogwares developed Sherlock Holmes The Awakened it in less than a year and in the middle of a war, so no one should be disappointed that the game doesn't feel much different from past entries in the franchise.

The games in this collection are timeless; they deserved far more respect than this.

Pokémon Sword and Shield: The Crown Tundra is the better of the two DLCs for the game, though that's not saying much. It manages to weave Pokémon's modern sensibilities with some strong nostalgia for old-time fans like myself, and I found myself more than happy to cycle around The Crown Tundra for hours on end, catching all of the Pokémon I found. If that's not a good result, I don't know what is.

Animal Crossing Pocket Camp is definitely Animal Crossing, but it’s also definitely a mobile game. Not bad for twenty or thirty minutes a day, but it won’t keep you plugged in for hours like a proper Animal Crossing game would. Then again, for the low-low price of free-to-start, it’s really hard to complain about the investment.

Transport Fever 2 is a toothless but still ultimately enjoyable simulation of all things infrastructure. As you set up resource lines, passenger routes and more, you'll see the world develop and grow around your inputs and influence which is enjoyable and even an addictive thing. Simple and easy to get into, the core problem is that it takes simple a little too literally, with the game offering no real challenge throughout any game mode. Still, if you enjoy this sort of game, you could do a lot worse than Transport Fever 2.

The Re:Mind scenario is only appealing to two types of fans: players that haven't played Kingdom Hearts III yet or those that already mastered the game and want to challenge themselves on the hardest bosses in the series.